A wonderful story to add to your adoption library is Horace by Holly Keller. Horace, who is spotted, is unhappy because he does not have stripes like everyone else in his family. He cares about his family but feels different because he does not look like them.
Every night his mother tells him the same story. She always begins “We chose you when you were a tiny baby because you had lost your first family and needed a new one.” But every night before she was finished, Horace would fall asleep and never hear the end.
One day Horace decides to find a family that looks like him. He does find one, but learns along the way that how one looks has little to do with being a real family. This is confirmed when he goes home and finally gets to hear the end of the story his mama always told him.
This book addresses an issue which hits at the very core of adoptive families. That the love of your “second” family can be just as strong as if you were born to them. The bright and colorful illustrations and the simple, sensitive story line add to the charm. Horace is sure to be a favorite bedtime request.